Couple faces human trafficking, promoting prostitution charges

A Fisherville couple is facing human trafficking and prostitution charges.

John and Rebecca Hull are accused of forcing a woman into prostitution and keeping the money themselves.

The woman said for more than a month, she was forced to prostitute by means of coercion and the Hulls would keep the money.

The woman said she stayed with the Hulls and could only use the phone if the Hulls were around, according to the arrest report.

"She wasn't held as a prisoner. She could leave if she wanted to, but because of threats they made, they told her if she did leave or stop doing what they wanted her to do, they would contact CPS," said Louisville Metro Police Department Sgt. Andre Bottoms.

Bottoms said the woman stayed at the Hulls out of fear of losing her child.

She called police in early February.

The Hulls operate Cheetah's Escort Service online.

"One of the ways we tried to get into the organization, get into Cheetah's, just was get on the website, contact them and set up an operation," Bottoms said.

According to the arrest report, John Hull admitted to sending an escort to the undercover officer's room.

The Hulls were arrested at their Fisherville home Wednesday night.

Police said the victim is out of harm's way, but that there is an increase in this type of activity surrounding Derby.

"We've seen in previous years that if we look online a couple of weeks before Derby there might be a certain number of ads advertising sex, then the week of Derby those ads increase substantially," said Marissa Castellanos, the human trafficking program manager for Catholic Charities.

The Hulls are facing one count of human trafficking and two counts of promoting prostitution.

Rebecca Hull, also 60, was not taken into custody due to a medical condition, police said.

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